2019 LS polls: Small parties pitch themselves as 'game changers' in UP

Small parties in Uttar Pradesh such as the NISHAD Party, Apna Dal (S) and AIMIM may not account for many Lok Sabha seats in 2019, but are pitching themselves as potential "game changers" in the BJP versus opposition battle in the state.

In the assembly polls, smaller political outfits play a key role in transferring their "dedicated" vote bank to their allies, but in Lok Sabha elections such parties have traditionally struggled to make a big impact.

However, several parties such as the NISHAD Party, Peace Party, Apna Dal (Sonelal), Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) are pitching themselves as attractive allies for the 2019 polls, asserting that in close contests their transfer of vote bank would decisively influence the outcome in the state.

It is likely that they would be given very few seats to contest, but these parties believe that they would be able to swing the result in favour of bigger alliance partners by transferring their vote bank.

"In the current scenario, the SP (Samajwadi Party), the BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party), NISHAD Party, Peace Party and the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) will fight the 2019 polls together and talks are on with the Congress, Praveen Nishad, MP from Gorakhpur who won the bypoll on SP symbol after Yogi Adityanath vacated the seat, told PTI.

He, however, cautioned that, We (NISHAD Party) should get our due and be given the seats on which we have our claim, otherwise if small parties are not given their due then the result will be there to see."
"If we are sidelined and ignored, we know how to give a fitting reply," he said